Mobile orientation system access in private spaces

Abstract

Orientation systems, a special case of Location-Based Systems (LBS) are able to provide a path defined from the initial position of the user, guiding him to his final destination. With the significant increase of mobile devices available, orientation systems can be developed and used through mobile phones with Wi-Fi and GPS, making possible to provide orientation services anytime, anywhere. In this paper, we present NAVIN, a LBS that offers orientation services in private spaces. First, some examples of LBS are presented and compared considering their hardware and software requirements, as well as their facilities for locating initial user positions. Then, the general architecture and main modules of NAVIN, are described: user location detection, finding and displaying the shortest path as well as the integration of other web services for showing news and other related information to the destination. We conclude evaluating the prototype and suggesting future work in this area.